Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

UK Measurement Strategy for the National Measurement System

Lord Callanan: My Honourable friend the Minister of State (George Freeman) has today made the following statement:A Measurement Strategy for the National Measurement system in being published today. The National Measurement System (NMS) is an essential part of the UK’s research and innovation infrastructure that is critical for science, innovation and trade. This strategy describes how the UK will capitalise on its world-leading National Measurement System in the 2020s. The National Measurement System will focus on three challenges where enhanced measurement capability and expertise will support the UK:The health and wellbeing of a growing populationThe National Measurement System will support the UK’s position at the forefront of leading-edge healthcare, enabling people to live longer, healthier and safer lives.Managing and reducing our environmental impact The National Measurement System will provide the critical measurement infrastructure needed to help the UK improve energy efficiency, transition to clean energy sources and mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change.Increasing prosperity and supporting innovation The National Measurement System will support new and existing innovative businesses, providing access to the measurement capability and expertise needed to translate new ideas into products

The 2021 Government Chemist Review

Lord Callanan: My Honourable friend the Minister of State (George Freeman) has today made the following statement:The twenty-fifth Annual Review of the Government Chemist has been received. The Review will be placed in the Libraries of the House plus those of the Devolved Administrations in Wales and Northern Ireland. The Review will also be laid before the Scottish Parliament.The Government Chemist is the Referee Analyst named in Acts of Parliament. The Government Chemist’s team carry out analysis in high-profile or legally disputed cases. A range of referee analysis work was carried out during 2021, which included the evaluation of genetically modified organisms in rice products, pesticide detection in an organic peanut product, aflatoxin in dried figs, and structural data around a liposomal vitamin C product. The Government Chemist continues to work closely with government departments, their governance group, Devolved Administrations, Non-Governmental Organisations, and industry to identify tools, standards, and guidance to facilitate effective testing for food fraud and to grow knowledge transfer activities.

Department of Health and Social Care

Health Update

Lord Markham: My Hon friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Primary Care and Public Health) (Neil O’Brien) has made the following Written Statement:The Government is delaying the implementation of the introduction of further advertising restrictions on TV and online for less healthy food and drink products until 1 October 2025. Due to a delay to Royal Assent of the Health and Care Act 2022, and recognition that industry needs more time to prepare for the restrictions, in May 2022, Government announced a year delay to the implementation of these restrictions to 1 January 2024. However feedback from industry and the regulators is now clear that there is insufficient time to prepare for implementation on the previously announced date of 1 January 2024. This is because ahead of implementation there are a number of steps that need to be taken including: a Government consultation on draft regulations that are required to set out the details of the advertising restrictions, such as the definition of product categories in scope of the advertising restrictions and the definition of the exemptions for small and medium enterprises, audio only content and services connected to regulated radio; the subsequent making of such Regulations; a consultation from the statutory regulator (Ofcom) on the designation of a frontline regulator; the possible designation of a frontline regulator by Ofcom; and publication of guidance to support business compliance with advertising restrictions, following consultation on such guidance from the frontline regulator. Through discussions with key stakeholders it is clear that this process cannot be delivered by January 2024. We have listened carefully to the concerns raised by advertisers, broadcasters and regulators about the importance of having sufficient time with these documents to fully prepare and restructure their advertising. We also recognise that businesses need time to reformulate their products. This is why we have decided to delay implementation of this policy until 1 October 2025. Parliament included a power in the Health and Care Act to delay implementation of the advertising restrictions if necessary. We will be utilising this power to amend the date of implementation for the advertising restrictions by secondary legislation, which we are laying today. To illustrate our commitment to this policy, we are also launching a consultation on the definitions included in secondary legislation, to provide detail to that included in the Health and Care Act. This consultation will run for 16 weeks, until 31 March 2023. This consultation will not be inviting opinions on the policy or looking to deviate from anything announced in the consultation response in June 2021 – it will be to confirm the clarity of the definitions used and that the text in the secondary legislation is fit for purpose. Addressing obesity remains a priority for the government. Having a fit and healthy population is essential for a thriving economy and we remain committed to helping people live healthier lives. New Regulations on out of home calorie labelling for food sold in large businesses including restaurants, cafes and takeaways came into force in April 2022 and restrictions on the promotion by location of products high in fat, salt or sugar came into force in October 2022.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Sanctions Designations

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: My Right Honourable Friend, the Minister of State (Indo-Pacific) (Anne-Marie Trevelyan), has made the following Written Ministerial Statement:On 9 December, to mark International Anti-Corruption Day and Human Rights Day on 10 December, the UK announced a package of 30 sanctions under our Global Human Rights, Global Anti-Corruption and geographic sanctions regimes. Travel bans and/or asset freezes have been imposed on designated individuals and entities. Covering targets from eleven countries, the package demonstrates the UK’s continued determination to take action to tackle corruption and to hold to account perpetrators of human rights abuses and violations. Under the Global Anti-Corruption Regulations 2021, sanctions can be imposed for involvement in serious corruption, which covers bribery and misappropriation of property. The sanctions announced today include designations of individuals and entities involved in serious corruption in the Western Balkans and Moldova. Under the Global Human Rights Regulations 2020, sanctions can be imposed for involvement in serious violations and abuses of certain human rights: the right to life, the right to be free from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and the right to be free from slavery, not to be held in servitude or required to perform forced or compulsory labour. The sanctions announced today include designations addressing serious violations and abuses of human rights in Nicaragua, Pakistan, Russia and Uganda. The UK’s geographic sanctions regimes are also a powerful tool for targeting perpetrators of, and those involved in, human rights abuses and violations that involve specific countries. Designations announced today under our Mali, Myanmar, South Sudan and Iran regimes aim to send a strong signal about respect for human rights and the UK’s preparedness to take action. Designations under our Russia sanctions regime target those who have destabilised or threatened the territorial integrity of Ukraine. The UK is also using all the levers at our disposal to prevent Conflict-Related Sexual Violence and to ensure that perpetrators are held to account. This is why today some of these designations specifically address the abhorrent crimes of sexual violence. The full list of designations is as follows: Western Balkans1. Slobodan Tesic: Serbia/Bosnia, dealer of arms and munitions in the Balkans2. Milan Radojcic: Kosovo, Vice President of Serb List (SL)3. Zvonko Veselinovic: Kosovo, businessman and leader of an organised crime group Moldova4. Vladimir Plahotniuc: businessman and former Chairman of the Democratic Party of Moldova (PDM)5. Ilan Shor: businessman and Member of Parliament and Chairman of the Sor Party Nicaragua6. Yohaira Hernandez Chirino: Deputy Mayor of Matagalpa7. Sadrach Zelodon Rocha: Mayor of Matagalpa Pakistan8. Mian Abdul Haq: cleric of Barchundi Sharif shrine Russia9. Colonel Ramil Rakhmatulovic Ibatullin: Commander of the 90th Guards Tank Division10. Valentin Aleksandrovich Oparin: Major of Justice and an investigator of the 534th Military Investigation Department of the Armed Forces of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation11. Artur Rinatovich Shambazov: former senior detective in the main department for the protection of national statehood of the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea12. Andrey Vyacheslavovich Tishenin: former senior detective in Ukranian Sercurity Service and former officer in Russian federal Security Service in Crimea13. Oleg Vladmirovich Tkachenko: former Head of the Department for Public Prosecutors for the Rostov region Uganda14. Kale Kayihura: former Inspector General of the Ugandan Police Force Mali15. Katiba Macina: jihadist armed group in Mali led by Amadou Kouffa and founding member of the AQ-aligned JNIM terror group Myanmar16. 33rd Light Infantry Division of Myanmar Army: part of the Myanmar Armed Forces under the command of Brigadier-General Aung Aung17. 99 Light Infantry of Myanmar Army: part of the Myanmar Armed Forces under the leadership of Brigadier- General Than Oo18. Office of the Chief of Military and Security Affairs (OCMSA) South Sudan19. Gordon Koang Biel: County Commissioner for Koch, Unity State20. Gatluak Nyang Hoth: County Commissioner for Mayendit, Unity State Iran21. Iman Afshari: Presiding Judge of Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court22. Ali Alghasimehr: Public Prosecutor of the Revolutionary Court of Shiraz and Chief Justice of Fars province23. Mohamed-Reza Amouzad: Presiding Judge of Branch 28 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court24. Allah Karam Azizi: Head of Rajaei Shahr Prison25. Hassan Babaei: member of the Iranian Judiciary in Tehran province26. Ali Cheharmahali: former Director of Greater Tehran Penitentiary and former Director of Evin prison27. Mousa Gazanfarabad: former Head of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran28. Seyed Ali Mazloum: Presiding Judge of Branch 29 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court29. Mustafa Mohebi: former Director of the Prisons Organisation in Tehran30. Gholamreza Ziyayi: former Director of Evin Prison and Director of Raja’i Shahr prison

Human Rights and Democracy Report for 2021

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: My Rt Hon Friend, the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, has made the following statement:I have today laid before Parliament a copy of the 2021 Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Report on Human Rights and Democracy (CP number 768).The report analyses human rights developments overseas in 2021 and illustrates how the government worked to promote and defend human rights globally, including our work to stop sexual violence against women and girls in conflict around the world and to eradicate modern slavery, to defend those who are abused, targeted or killed for their religion or beliefs, to promote media freedom and to support human rights defenders.Against a backdrop of violations of human rights and increasing authoritarianism in the world, the UK remains steadfastly dedicated to protecting and promoting human rights.

Ministry of Defence

Defence Update

Baroness Goldie: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence (The Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.In the summer I updated the House on progress under the UK Combat Air Strategy, setting out the crucial importance of combat air to the nation’s security, sovereign industrial base and to our role in international affairs. I outlined the significant progress being made to develop a next generation combat air system, highlighting the substantial work underway with close and valued partners Japan and Italy.It is with great pleasure that I now offer a further update on international partnering for our future combat air capability. In a landmark announcement, the Prime Ministers of the UK, Japan and Italy, announced that we will work together under a joint programme partnership, the next step in deepening our collaboration. Within the UK, the aircraft under development will be known as Tempest.Together, our ambition is to develop a next generation capability designed to outmatch adversaries even in the most highly contested environments, by utilising a network of cutting-edge capabilities such advanced sensors, weapons and data systems. Due to enter service in 2035, it is being developed to keep ahead of the threat for decades to come and undertake a wide variety of missions within our wider military, across all domains.Tempest will be developed by the newly formed Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), under a spirit of equal partnership, created by the merging of Japan’s FX programme with the UK and Italy’s Future Combat Air System (FCAS). This new programme will take forward our joint concepting activity and support technological and operational sovereignty across partner nations.This announcement represents a major opportunity to develop our sovereign defence-industrial capabilities, demonstrating our commitment to the 2018 Combat Air Strategy and the 2021 Defence and Security Industrial Strategy. The programme is delivering an uplift in skilled jobs for all three partner nations, providing a launchpad for careers in science and engineering. The enterprise already employs over 2,500 highly skilled personnel in the UK alone, including engineers and programmers, with recruitment expanding rapidly.This programme will also be important in supporting economic growth across the country, with key combat air hubs in the north-west and south-west of England and in Edinburgh, supported by a supply chain of hundreds of organisations from one end of the UK to the other. It is a key avenue for investment in Research and Development, both public and private, with MOD and our industry partners having already invested well over £1bn in developing the skills and technologies needed to deliver at pace.This capability will be designed by some of the world’s leading defence companies. In the UK, these include BAE Systems, Leonardo UK, MBDA UK and Rolls-Royce, working closely with the Ministry of Defence. The international partnership includes MHI, IHI and MELCO for Japan; and Leonardo SpA., Avio Aero, MBDA IT and Elettronica for Italy.This is a truly strategic endeavour, demonstrating our commitment to maintaining the capabilities needed to defend the UK, protect and reassure our allies and partners and deter those who would threaten international security. It is a clear sign of a global Britain working with like-minded partners from across the world to deepen our defence capabilities, grow our advanced industrial capacity, and demonstrate our shared commitment to international security.

Department for International Trade

UK-South Korea Trade Agreement Update

Lord Johnson of Lainston: My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade (Kemi Badenoch MP) has today made the following statement.Today the Department for International Trade has launched a public Call for Input on a future Free Trade Agreement between the United Kingdom and South Korea. The Call for Input can be accessed via the following link – https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/trade-with-south-korea-call-for-inputThe UK is committed to building on our strong, existing trade and investment relationship with South Korea. South Korea is our 20th largest trade partner with bilateral trade worth £14.3 billion in 2021.The UK’s current trade relationship with South Korea is based on the EU-South Korea trade agreement, which was negotiated by the European Commission in 2011 and, after a further negotiation, formed the basis of the UK-Korea trade agreement on 01/01/2021. We now have the opportunity to update the agreement, ensuring it is a modern and fit-for-purpose arrangement that meets the specific needs of the UK. This will include important areas such as digital trade, enhanced climate provisions and further support for small and medium sized businesses.South Korea was the world’s 10th largest economy in terms of GDP in 2021, with a population of almost 52 million people. An updated agreement could provide the UK with the opportunity to increase the value of UK exports to South Korea, which were worth £8.1 billion in 2021. With updated modern provisions the UK can seek to expand our key exports in digital, business and financial services, contributing to domestic growth at a time of global economic hardship.Opening discussions towards a modern deal will assist both nations to take an ambitious, progressive, and sustainable step towards shared growth and job creation. As two countries with a strong record of cooperation, resting on shared democratic values, a bespoke trade agreement will provide a foundation for further growth in our trading relationship.The Government has been clear that when we are negotiating trade deals, the NHS will not be on the table. The price the NHS pays for drugs will not be on the table. The services the NHS provides will not be on the table. We will not agree measures which undermine the Government’s ability to deliver on our manifesto commitments to the NHS.As we committed to in our manifesto in all of our trade negotiations, we will not compromise on our high environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards.The Call for Input will run for eight weeks and invite businesses, public sector bodies, individuals, and other interested stakeholders to set out their priorities for a closer trading relationship with South Korea.The information that the Government receives through this exercise will be crucial in shaping our approach to negotiations and our priorities and objectives, ensuring that our final approach is informed by stakeholder needs and the demands of the British economy.Next StepsThe UK and South Korean Governments share a desire to develop closer ties and we have jointly agreed to aim to launch negotiations as soon as possible next year, after we have fully reflected on the results of the call for input and developed a negotiating mandate. Prior to launching negotiations, the UK Government will publish its approach to negotiations. This will include a response to the call for input and our strategic objectives, as well as an economic scoping assessment. We will continue to keep Parliament, the devolved administrations, UK citizens and businesses updated, as we make progress towards seizing the opportunities presented by a new, modern trade agreement with South Korea.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

App Security and Privacy Code of Practice and Call for Views Response

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: I am repeating the following Written Ministerial Statement made today in the other place by my Honourable Friend, the Minister for Media, Data, and Digital Infrastructure, Julia Lopez MP:I am pleased to inform the House that the Government has published two documents titled ‘Code of Practice for App Store Operators and App Developers’ and ‘Call for Views Response on App Security and Privacy Interventions’. This follows on from a Call for Views held between 4 May and 29 June 2022 where we sought feedback on our proposed interventions to protect users’ security and privacy from malicious and poorly developed apps.We are publishing a world-first voluntary Code of Practice that sets minimum security and privacy requirements for App Store Operators and App Developers. Given that people's lives are dependent on apps to use services, such as online banking, health and entertainment services, this Code is essential as malicious and poorly designed apps continue to be accessible to users on app stores which can result in the loss of personal data, money and access to devices. This work will help deliver an objective within the National Cyber Strategy to reduce the cyber risk at source by ensuring that app stores (and app developers) follow better levels of cyber security.This Code will improve the security and privacy practices of both developers and operators and therefore ensure that apps are more suitably built. The Code, and the eight principles within it, has been informed by feedback from operators, developers and security experts following the Call for Views, and received support from a vast majority of respondents. It has been thoroughly tested to ensure it strikes an appropriate balance in protecting users whilst also not overly burdening operators and developers. Furthermore, the Code will ensure that more information about an app’s data practices is conveyed to users so they can make informed decisions when deciding whether to download an app.Given the global nature of cyber security issues and digital markets, we plan to prioritise creating international alignment on the Code’s security and privacy requirements. We will do this by engaging with international counterparts to promote the need for the requirements, particularly in the context of future competition regulation, and explore the viability of creating an international standard based on the Code.I will place a copy of both the ‘Code of Practice for App Store Operators and App Developers’ and ‘Call for Views Response on App Security and Privacy Interventions’ in the Libraries of both Houses.